


Oct 25: Poison

by MadhouseVagabond



Series: Scarefest Challenges 2017 [25]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Angst, FYRTFF Scarefest Challenge 2017, Gen, M/M, Mad King, Major character death - Freeform, Poison, Sort Of, all the feels, jeremwood, minecraft au, scarefeat challenges
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 10:10:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12815280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadhouseVagabond/pseuds/MadhouseVagabond
Summary: "Don't leave me alone again!"





	Oct 25: Poison

Jack nudged Geoff beside him and once he'd gained the attention of his friend he motioned towards the two figures talking as they walked towards Jack's porch. Geoff smiled when he saw the two and shared a knowing look with Jack, relief and happiness filling him.

Ryan was looking down at Jeremy as the two walked and shared pleasant conversations, the gent feeling light inside whenever Jeremy would meet his eyes or smile. The gent hadn't been in a good way ever since Ray had left Achievement City, growing slightly bitter when Jeremy had stepped up, seeing it as replacing his friend. He'd been distant from the others for almost a year, but slowly something began to change in the man. He glanced up and saw Geoff and Jack quickly look away and blushed.

"You alright there buddy? You're going all pink. Not that I'm complaining or anything, it's a nice look on you," Jeremy said looking at Ryan as they climbed the steps towards Jack's porch, the designated eating area for the six Hunters. Ryan blushed even more and smiled as he shook his head.

"I'm fine Jeremy, really. What'll it be? Waffles or pancakes?" he asked changing the subject as Jack winked at Geoff.

"I'm having pancakes!" Jeremy cheered as he loaded his plate. Ryan chuckled as he started piling waffles onto his own plate. Glancing at the table he noticed that Geoff was giving him an odd look, both he and Jack looking pointedly at Jeremy's turned back before looking at Ryan and gesturing with their heads towards...Ryan's house.

Ryan's eyes grew large and he glanced quickly at the smaller man who was busy pouring syrup onto his pancakes, humming a little tune he'd made up, before looking at his fellow gents.

_What?_ he asked them with his telepathy, slightly annoyed.

_You fucking know exactly what moron! Ask him to eat with you at your place!_ Geoff hissed at him.

_What?! No! I-I couldn't possibly..._ Ryan's mind stuttered.

_Come on Ryan. Jeremy's a great kid! Don't you think you should give him a chance? Isn't it time you were happy?_ Jack asked. Ryan was taken aback and bit his lower lip as he thought about it, the gents still looking at him.

"Hey, Ryan. You gonna stand there all day?"

Ryan nearly jumped at the sound of Jeremy's voice beside him. He looked down to see the lad smiling up at him in amusement as he held out the syrup. Ryan blushed as he spread syrup on his waffles and handed the jar back to Jeremy. The lad turned to take a seat at the table when he noticed that Ryan wasn't moving. He looked up with a quizzical look and noticed that Ryan was shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

"Ryan?" he asked gently.

"Do you...would it be okay with you, if we ate in my house today? Together?" Ryan asked softly. The gents looked between Ryan and Jeremy, waiting anxiously for the lad's reply. Jeremy smiled and let out a chuckle.

"Sure Ryan, I'm okay with that. Let's go!" he said. Ryan looked up surprised and overjoyed, letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding as he followed Jeremy down the steps, glancing back at the gents, Geoff crossing his fingers and Jack holding both his thumbs up as they smiled at their friend.

Eating breakfast with Jeremy was a treat for Ryan, the gent elated that the handsome young man would want to spend time with him. Sitting at a table together in Ryan's small house, the two talked about what they thought they'd be doing that day, what they wanted to do in their off time, telling jokes, and general conversation. Once they'd finished Jeremy sat back and patted his stomach.

"Oh boy that's not gonna be good for my figure!" he laughed as he stuck out his belly for added affect, causing Ryan to laugh.

"What're you talking about? You look perfect to me," Ryan said before realizing what he'd said and nearly choked on a bite of waffle as he tried to recover, Jeremy blushing as he laughed.

"Thanks buddy, I appreciate that, really," he said taking another bite of his pancakes.

_Fuck me this isn't going like I'd planned! Damn my incompetent tongue!_ Ryan swore to himself as he managed to stop coughing and began to eat again completely embarrassed now.

"This was really nice Ryan. Thanks for asking me to have breakfast with you," Jeremy said with a smile and he looked at Ryan. Ryan smiled back, his cheeks growing red.

"I'm happy you've enjoyed it. You're great to be around," he said. Jeremy was the one blushing now and he looked down with a smile to cover it up as he took another bite.

"I'll take the dishes back, but please stay. I have a secret to tell you when I get back," Ryan said mysteriously as he took Jeremy's dishes when they were finished. Jeremy raised an eyebrow quizzically but nodded.

Ryan stood and took both their plates and turned to take them back to Jack's house and report back to the gents when he heard a gasp behind him. He whirled around and froze as Jeremy's horrified face met his. Jeremy's face was screwed in pain and he clutched his throat, falling out of his chair and collapsing to the floor in a heap.

"Jeremy!" Ryan screamed as he dropped the dishes and rushed to his friend's side, trying to think of a way to help.

_Geoff, Jack! Help, please! Jeremy's in trouble!_ he cried to his friends telepathically as he scooped up Jeremy in his arms and rushed out the door, taking to the air as he flew to the medic hut where he saw Jack was already running into, Geoff following.

Ryan rushed in and gently placed Jeremy on the bed, Jack and Lindsay rushing around and examining him as he continued to choke in pain. Ryan's eyes filled with tears and he began to tremble as he watched helplessly as the man he'd fallen in love with lay in pain. Geoff rushed passed him and asked what he could do to help.

"Ryan, what happened exactly?" Jack asked as he looked at Jeremy's eyes and then examined his throat. Jeremy had ceased to choke but now was turning horrible shades of green and yellow and he convulsed. Ryan opened and closed his mouth several times but words failed him and the tears started to fall.

"Ryan! I can't help him unless I know what happened," Jack urged as blue magical energy flowed from his hands and surrounded Jeremy, stilling him as Jack's temporary spell to freeze whatever was happening to the lad took place.

"It wasn't me. I swear it wasn't me," Ryan said softly. Geoff wanted to cry as his friend uttered those words, knowing that Ryan saw himself as a monster for the powers he had and some of the things he'd done with them.

"Ryan we're not blaming you. This isn't your fault, we just want to help Jeremy. Can you tell us what happened bud?" he gently coaxed. Ryan blinked several times and nodded.

"We we're eating. Everything seemed normal and fine until I started to take the dishes back. Then he started gasping and fell to the floor and that's when I rushed him here. That's all that happened," he said.

"There was no one else there? You couldn't sense anyone?" Lindsay asked as she examined Jeremy's tongue and took his temperature. Ryan shook his head.

"Just us," he said quietly as he stared at Jeremy.

"Ryan, listen to me okay? I need you to go and get me the plate and utensils that Jeremy used. If this is what I think it is...I need them to be sure! Hurry Ryan!" Jack instructed.

Ryan nodded and wiped his eyes, taking one last look at Jeremy before zooming out of the door, flying as fast as he could. He retrieved the desired items from his house and zoomed back, handing them over to Jack and then taking a place beside Jeremy who looked up at him, eyes wide with fear and panic. Ryan's eyes filled with tears again and he held Jeremy's hand tightly in both of his. At a side table, Jack waved his hand over the dishes and uttered a spell, green magical energy flowing from his hands and enveloping them. As soon as the energy touched the dishes it turned black and began to writhe in the air before Jack dissipated it. He turned to the other Hunters, a scared expression on his face.

"Jack? What is it?" Geoff asked worried.

"It's poison. Jeremy's been poisoned by Kiss of Wither," Jack said growing pale.

"What's that?" Ryan asked slowly still looking at Jeremy who'd been staring up at Ryan for the longest time.

"It's a rare poison, made from a mixture of Wither blood and Ghast tears. If ingested, the victim experiences loss of breath and a burning sensation in their throat and lungs. After the convulsing stops the poison makes its way through the victims system until it reaches the lungs, where it..." Jack paused to take a shaky breath as his eyes filled with tears.

"What happens Jack?" Ryan asked.

"When the poison reaches the lungs, it begins to burn away all the air in them. Imagine the gas from a gas fireplace meeting the flame of a match. After the air is all gone the fire eats through the lungs and then attacks the victim's heart," Jack continued, stopping as there was no need to go on. The room fell silent except for the sobs coming from Ryan as he fell to his knees beside the bed and clutched Jeremy's hand to him.

"Is there a way to stop it?" Geoff asked quickly.

"The only thing I can think of is Dragons Breath. A vile filled with that should stop the poison and undo any damage done," Jack said.

"Well then let's get some! Don't we still have any from our last attack of the ender dragon?" Geoff asked looking between Lindsay and Jack who just hung his head and shook it sadly.

"We used the last of it two days ago," he said in a broken voice.

Ryan looked up into Jeremy's pained brown eyes and wished that he could take the pain away, that he could save Jeremy. Finally he slowly stood to his feet and with a final squeeze of Jeremy's hand he turned to the door.

"Where are you going Ryan?" Lindsay asked gently.

"I'm going to kill a dragon. Get a vile ready for me I'll be back in a second," Ryan said.

"Ryan you can't face a dragon alone!" Geoff exclaimed.

"I have no other choice Geoff! I won't stand by and watch Jeremy die! I refuse to let another person I care for be ripped away from me!" Ryan shouted with tears in his eyes. The room grew quiet before Ryan zipped away, Lindsay dashing to a chest and retrieving four empty glass viles.

Ryan returned a second later in full diamond armor enchanted with all the protection he could put onto them. Lindsay handed him the viles and he walked over to Jeremy's bed, leaning down and kissing Jeremy on the forehead.

"Stay alive for me okay? I'll be back and then I need to tell you a secret. Stay alive so I can tell you my secret okay Jeremy?" he asked tenderly as he stroked the lad's green dyed hair. The lad nodded slowly and smiled painfully to let Ryan know he would.

"I can keep the poison slowed for two hours. Two and a half at the most. Please hurry Ryan and be careful!" Jack said. Ryan nodded and walked to the door, pausing and glancing back at Jeremy before flying away to the Hunters' End Portal.

_Nothing will stop me from keeping you safe Jeremy. I promise!_ he thought as he entered the portal.

 

Geoff paced the floor and glanced nervously at Jeremy who was sweating and looking like he was in excruciating pain. It had been over an hour and a half and Ryan still wasn't back yet, the gent growing nervous. Lindsay dabbed a cool cloth against Jeremy's forehead and face, trying to keep his boiling skin cool. Jack was scouring his books of magic and potions to try and find different ways to slow the poison or find another antidote.

"How'd the poison even end up in Jeremy's food? Ryan wasn't poisoned and he ate nearly the same thing," Lindsay asked. Geoff had been wondering the same thing and an idea occurred to him. He walked over and casually whispered to Jack who shook his head and nodded periodically as if answering questions, all the while he was silently uttering an incantation.

When Jack said the final word a small wave of energy surged around them and a shrill scream was uttered as a witch fell to the floor from where she'd been standing cloaked with an invisibility spell. Jack growled and sent several bolts of magic energy at the witch, pinning her to the ground.

"What're you doing here and why'd you hurt our friend?" Geoff demanded, drawing his sword and standing protectively between Jeremy and the witch. The hag cackled and smiled wickedly.

"I spent a lot of money on that potion. My plan was perfect, to kill him would be the highest honor I could ever receive!" she said.

"Why would killing Jeremy do anything for you bitch? What's he ever done to you?" Geoff snarled.

"If I'm being honest it wasn't he I was after. The Mad King was supposed to fall at my hand, but this is even better! Killing the one he loves, destroying him internally and mentally, now that's the real prize!" she shrieked maniacally.

"Do you have the antidote for him?" Jack demanded. The witch just smiled and closed her eyes, raising her eyebrows and rocking her head from shoulder to shoulder.

"You save him or else!" Geoff roared. The witch laughed again and glared up at the man.

"Oh but I'm having such fun watching the little troll suffer!" she exclaimed.

"Geoff, my Wards of Protection won't last much longer. Ryan's not back yet we need her to give it up!" Jack warned urgently. Geoff nodded and sliced the skin of the witch's thigh with his sword, her screams sounding like music.

"Tell us how to save Jeremy!" he roared. The witch laughed and screamed as Geoff cut her again.

"Tell us how to save him you piece of shit!" he yelled again. The witch just cackled.

"Alright, fuck you!" Geoff screamed and decapitated the witch, her lifeless body collapsing to the floor and the head rolling towards the door.

"Geoff! My spells, they're wearing off!" Jack screamed as Jeremy started screaming in pain and convulsing.

There was a flash of movement and then Ryan stood amongst them, covered in sweat and blood and panting for breath. He fell to his knees and held up a single bottle of Dragons Breath up to Jack who took it and quickly poured it into Jeremy's mouth, putting his hand over the lad's mouth and running a finger up and down his throats to force him to swallow the elixir. Jeremy gasped for breath once more and then became still. The four looked at their young friend nervously.

"Did it work?" Geoff asked. Jack took a step towards Jeremy and felt his forehead.

"His fever is subsiding and his skin discoloration is dissipating. I think it worked! Now it's just a matter of waiting," Jack said.

Ryan shakily took a seat beside Jeremy and held his limp hand in his own two, fresh tears running down his cheeks as he stared at the unconscious form in front of him.

_Please let me have made it in time! Please, I can't lose him!_ he thought silently to himself as he hung his head and closed his eyes. Several minutes passed with no change, Geoff and the others feeling sick as realization that Jeremy was probably dead filled them.

"Ryan, I..." Jack began softly.

"No."

"I don't think he made it," Jack continued, his voice cracking.

"Just...give it a little longer. Please Jack," Ryan pleaded, eyes still closed and head hung, Jeremy's hand pressed between his own and held to his forehead. Jack nodded and stepped back, glancing at Geoff who looked on the verge of tears himself.

"Why don't we leave them for now. Give them some space," he said as he and Lindsay left, followed slowly by Geoff who glanced back at the door before exiting. Ryan squeezed his eyes tighter.

"Please, don't leave me. I can't handle it again. I never thought I'd feel after what happened to Ray, never thought I'd be human again, just doomed to be the monster I've always been. But you showed me that there's always hope, even for me! Jeremy you helped make me feel again. Please don't leave me alone again," Ryan pleaded as tears ran down his cheeks and he sobbed, pressing soft gently kisses to Jeremy's hand.

He was met with only silence and to the Mad King, the silence was the most deafening sound he'd ever heard. It reached out to strangle him, to choke the life from him. The soul-sucking feeling of being alone once again began to fill him.

"I never got to tell you my secret," he said softly.

"T-then tell me now you beautiful bastard."

Ryan's head shot up at the sound of the raspy voice and saw Jeremy looking at him, a pained smile on his face which was slowly regaining its original color again.

"Jeremy!" Ryan screamed and collapsed on the lad, hugging him.

"Easy buddy, still a bit tender from that bitch's death juice," Jeremy chuckled as he returned the hug. The others came rushing in and all uttered cries of surprise and delight as they surrounded the bed and smiled down at Jeremy.

"Thanks for saving me guys," Jeremy said as soon as Ryan had gotten off him enough that the lad could sit up and look around at his friends. He looked to Ryan and squeezed his hand. "And thank you for risking your life for me."

"You know I'd do anything for you Jer," Ryan said with tears in his eyes.

"So, um..what's this secret you almost didn't get to tell me?" Jeremy asked with a hint of a smile and a twinkle in his eyes. Ryan laughed and smiled down at the lad.

"Just that I've fallen in love with the greatest guy in the world," he said. Jeremy's cheeks reddened but his face lit up.

"Guess that makes two of us Ry," he smiled and the two leaned in and kissed.


End file.
